R. Madhavan is all set to follow in the foot steps of Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai — the Alaipayudhey actor will now feature in a Hollywood flick. The 3D re-imagining of Night Of The Living Dead is by Simon West Productions, Graphic Film Company, 2020 Entertainment and Indus Media and Entertainment, featuring Tony Todd, Tom Sizemore, Danielle Harris, Sarah Habel, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Bill Mosley and Joseph Pilato. It is the story of a group of survivors fighting to stay alive when a mysterious plague unleashes the undead on New York City.
The actor, who is also one of the executive producers of the film, is excited about the project. “Working with Simon West is a great introduction to American cinema. He has made and continues to make some of the most exciting and thrilling films from Hollywood. I am honoured to be working alongside him. I am just as thrilled to be in this re-imagining of the cult classic,” says the actor.
New look Pasamalar
The restored version of Sivaji Ganesan’s hit Pasamalar (1961) is all set to be re-released on August 15 with D1 video, DTS 5.1 sound and in cinemascope by Vetri Cine Arts’ K.V. Bhoominathan. Sons and daughters of yesteryear actors were present at the recent release of the trailer. For Sivaji Ganesan’s sons Ramkumar and Prabhu, Gemini Ganesan’s daughter Kamala Selvaraj, Savithri’s daughter Vijaya Chamundeswari, director A. Bhimsingh’s son cinematographer B. Kannan, dialogue writer Aroordas, and singers L.R. Eswari and Jamunarani, it was a trip down memory lane.
Apparently, the ‘negative’ of Pasamalar was in a bad condition, and the producers approached Prasad Labs for restoration. It is said to have taken the technicians over three months for colour restoration, digital correction and cinemascope conversion. Let’s hope this opens the door for many such classics.
Four for a song
We see a lot of camaraderie among Tamil film music composers. And, they just took it a notch up recently. Yuvan Shankar Raja has composed a motivational song for his 100th film Biriyani. And, he has roped in four noted composers — G.V. Prakash Kumar, D. Imman, Thaman S. and Vijay Antony — to sing the song. Says Yuvan, “When the tune was ready, I called up my composer friends and they readily agreed to sing. We recorded the song in no time; it has come out well.”
Shooting for the Venkat Prabhu film is over, and the post-production work is said be on in full swing.
A walk in pride
Sarath Kumar, his actor-wife Radhika Sarath Kumar, Vidya Balan and Gandhian Anna Hazare will participate in the India Day Parade organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in Manhattan, the U.S., on August 18. Sarath Kumar and Radhika will be the Parade Marshals. The couple will also walk the streets of Madison Avenue with an Indian flag, along with New York Mayor, Governor, Indian Ambassador, U.S. Congressmen, American politicians and Indian leaders. They will ring the opening bell at Nasdaq Stock Exchange in Times Square. The duo will also be presented with an award for their contribution to Indian cinema. Says Sarath Kumar, “I am looking forward to the big day.” Celebrities who had led the parade earlier include Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Hemamalini, Madhuri Dixit and A.R. Rahman. Other non-film celebrities include Sunita Williams, Anil Kumble, Vijay Mallya and Pandit Jasraj.
